Missing the piano
by MNHNM
Summary: What happens when Danny's father turns abusive and his friends are all changing around him? Whom can he turn to, and whom can he trust?
1. Chapter 1

Danny Phantom

A hidden evil

Now Danny is 15 and a half and his life is like brimstone – nothing is going right for him. His mother died a year ago and his father found out his secret, and blames everything on him… which means he takes everything out on him, too.

This is an idea formed somewhat by OUTLAWED and another member of this fanfiction fan sight, whose name I can't remember and will write as soon as I find it out. I thank them for there ideas.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

By the way, I won't be able to update more then once a week. Sorry.

Warning: Child abuse; eventual character death – although not Danny.

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AGE 15&½

Danny yelped as his father rammed his boot into his side. "You little brat, you caused your mother to die… your ghostly powers did it… ghosts are evil… all ghosts are evil…"

"Dad, I… I…" he paused.

"Shut up!" Jack yelled. Maddie, Jack's wife, had passed away three weeks ago – the same day Jack found out about Danny's ghost powers. He blamed everything on Danny.

To make matters worse, within the same week, the court had decided Jack couldn't serve as a parent for two kids, so they sent Jazz to live away with a distant relative.

Which meant Jack was free to abuse Danny any way he pleased, and had been for the past two weeks. Danny had also broken his arm but Jack had warned him not tot ell anyone, not even his closest friends.

Jack kicked Danny one more time and then started to leave the room. "Do your homework," he growled.

Danny sighed. Another thing about Jack's latest abuse spree: he also demanded perfect grades. His teachers were all impressed with Danny's A+ grade average. Danny wasn't, as he often stayed after school cramming in a few extra hours of study time.

Danny bit his lip. He'd attempted to do some math homework during homeroom and had gotten caught. He couldn't wait – well, really he could – until Jack found out.

_Great. Time to do some homework, _he thought. He looked out the window as Tucker and Sam rang the doorbell.

_Oh ships… _he thought as Jack answered the door.

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"What do you want?" Jack growled in the face of the two teens.

Tucker gulped. "Uh, we were wondering if Danny could like, come out and play."

"He's doing his homework. He doesn't need play time. He needs to think of school," Jack said as he slammed the door in their faces.

Sam raised her eyes as the two walked away. "Tucker, I have to ask you a question."

"O….K?" Tucker asked.

"Do you think Danny's been acting a little… well… strange lately? Just the past three weeks, since his mom died."

"Yeah, I noticed that to, but I just assumed it was because of his mom's death."

"True. But I GOOGLED his feelings and the way he's been acting and found out a lot of them usually led to child abuse."

"That's a load of hogwash," Tucker said. "Jack would never abuse Danny."

"I know, but what if Jack found out that Danny had ghost powers and blamed him for his wife's death?"

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "Then you might have a valid point. I'll try and talk to him gently on the way to school tomorrow."

Sam nodded. "I'll take the bus for you guys."

"Thanks."

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_I hate this! _Danny thought, starting on his homework, watching Tucker and Sam walk off. _They're probably mad at me and hate me by now. I wish dad had never found out I had ghost powers! _

I really miss Mom. I never knew Dad hated me so much until after she died. I don't blame her but it would have helped that the police didn't rule it suicide. Apparently, that makes it ultimately my fault. I guess things could be worse, but I don't really see how.

_I miss Jazz too. She would be able to stop a lot of this – just from simply being here. Darn Dad soundproofed my bedroom last week and stripped it down… selling everything; my blankets, all but one; he sold everything except my books, desk, bed and chair! _

_I wish things could be different. I really do, I wish Mom had never died, Jazz had never been sent away, and I wish my dad would stop using me for a punching bag._

_My mind says things could be worse, but I'm not sure how._

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The next morning

"Dude, are you ok?" Tucker asked, snapping Danny out of his daze. "You just seem a little different lately."

Danny looked at him. Had he figured it out? His dad would never let him live it down if that happened. "Huh?" he asked.

"Are you ok? You seem a little distant ever since your mom died. You can't just bury yourself in your school, ya'know."

"It's none of your business Tucker!" Danny said, running ahead. "Just leave me the alone!"

"Ok," Tucker said, "that was officially weird."

Unbeknowingist to him, Sam was watching from a distance. She hadn't taken the school bus as she said she would. She frowned. Danny had most of the symptoms of child abuse, but Jack would never hurt anyone… or would he?

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Now I command of you two things: This is my first story EVER so be nice; also please review with constructive criticism. Thanks.


	2. Flashback: Court case

Updated as promised. I may update Monday, I might not.

Thanks for your encouraging reviews and comments. I appreciate them all.

Hangin On A Bridge

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"Sam, you're overreacting. Danny's fine, it's just that his mother's death that he's been different. Everyone handles death differently."

"What about Danny's increase in grades?"

Tucker shrugged. "He's probably hiding his grief in his schoolwork."

Sam sighed. "You're right. Jack wouldn't blame Danny for his wife's death. I'm just over reacting," Sam said, and that was the last of that conversation.

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LATER THAT SAME DAY

Danny shook his head as he tried to do his schoolwork. He couldn't concentrate, his mind kept fading back to the court judge who had taken Jazz away and made his life hell.

FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASH BACK 

"I hereby rule that Jack Fenton is not confident enough to have two children, he may only have one child. That child will be Danny Fenton," the judge said.

"Mr. Fenton, do you swear to take care of your child?" asked the judge.

"Yes sir, I will take care of him."

"Very well. If you take care of him well enough, we may allow you to have Jazz back. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you have a distant relative or friend you would prefer Jazz to stay with?"

Danny squeezed Jazz's hand affectionately, hoping that his father wouldn't say Vlad Masters. He hated that man with a passion.

"Yes sir, her grandma Day Jasmine."

Danny winced as he looked at the angry look on his father's face. His father had already hit him a couple of times for no apparent reason. "I love you Jazz," he said, tearfully hugging her.

"I'll call," she replied, hugging her brother back as she left with her grandmother.

END FLASHBACK

Danny sighed. He still hated that judge; the judge that had sworn to protect him, but yet had ended up hurting him instead.

A few minutes later Danny's father came pounding up the stairs. "Guess what I got, Danny?" he asked.

"Uh-oh," Danny muttered. Ever since his father had found out he had hated when his father said the words _guess what I got._

"What is it?" he asked.

Suddenly he felt a stinging pain in his side. "It's a zapper," Jack replied. "It takes away your ghost powers for three hours, and during those three hours, we're going to have some fun, my boy…" he grinned evilly.

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"I wish Danny would hang around with us more," Tucker muttered.

"Me too," Sam said. "He's always burying himself in his schoolwork. Danny used to hate schoolwork."

"Yeah, it really showed in his grades. Did you ever hear what happened to his sister?"

"She got shipped off to her grandmother's," replied Sam.

"That probably won't help Danny any."

Sam nodded. "Well, let's see what goes on. You're right. I'm overreacting. Jack would never abuse Danny, and if he did, Danny would tell us about it."

They were walking nearby Danny's house when Jack came outside. "Hey, Sam," he said. "I have to ask you a question."

"OK," Sam said. "What?" She asked curiously.

"Have you noticed anything different about Danny?"

"Oh, besides the fact that he's pulling strait A's and never has time to play with us anymore? No." She stormed off, and Tucker ran to catch up with her. "I really hate that man."

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Let me know what you think, and when you review please be nice – this is only my first.


	3. Bad report card?

Wow! Thirteen reviews! You guys made me _want _to update! And here I thought it'd be a chore! OK, here goes the next chapter, but first:

Person13: Not being mean at all. I understand. I'm sorry it didn't, and it's supposed to be freaky.

Sunshine Silverioio: Thanks for the information, I know I made that mistake and I'll patch it up.

Mrturtle518: The plan is to get Danny so scared so he won't run away. You'll see… I'm evil.

Oystiee: This one's longer.

Deleila, Animegurl088: Thanks! Criticism is better for me, though – I need it, especially because this is only my first.

All right. Onto chapter three.

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Danny lay on the floor, his stomach in pain. Jack had just finished beating him and nearly ripped his picture of his mother and sister in half. He'd clung onto it for dear life.

His shoulder throbbing, he helped himself onto his bed. Luckily he'd finished his homework before Jack came upstairs.

Report cards were coming out the next day; they came out often at Casper High. Apparently the teachers wanted to keep the parents _informed _of their children's progress.

Danny shook his head. He didn't want to think about that right now. He stared at the picture of him, his mother and his sister. They were all smiling, all happy. He remembered the day that that was.

_Flashback - - Flashback – _

"_Hey, Jazz!" Danny called. "I have your panda thing!" _

"_Danny, gimme that back! PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE!" she said, darting after him._

It had been just his mother, Jazz, and him there that day. A picnic well Jack was at work. "Danny, give it back," she said. He did and they both sat down for lunch.

"It can't get any better then peanut butter and jelly, no sir-ie," Danny said with a smile as he munched off a bite of his sandwich. A few minutes after they'd finished eating, Jazz challenged him to a game of tackle football. Danny won, of course, and Jazz had shrugged it off.

_Later, after another round where their mother had played, Maddie asked a friend to take the picture._

End flashback

Danny hugged the picture and slipped it up in the doorway. He thought he heard his father coming up the stairs.

He did, and a few seconds later he pounded up. "Guess what, Danny!" Jack shouted with glee.

"Uh, what?" Danny asked, unsure why he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

"I know how to put a ghost shield around the house now!" Jack said. "And guess what else?"

Danny felt his heart sinking. "Uh… it protects the house from ghosts?"

"Exactly," Jack said. He glanced at his watch. "Oh, no. Looks like you are about to become a ghost again. We can't have that happen before the ghost shield's up now can we?" Within five seconds, Danny was shocked and unconscious.

Just then the phone in Danny's bedroom rang and Jack answered it. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Hi, this is Sam. Is Danny there?"

"No," Jack said, hanging up the phone.

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Well, it looks like Danny's stuck. He can't run away unless he's in human form, and that'll slow him down. What should he do? What do YOU think he should do? Read and I beg of you, review… for every three reviews I get I'll make it a PAGE longer then what I'm planning it.


	4. Flashback: Once loved

Wowed! I got like nine reviews! I'm updating because I want to now. I'll try to reply to them each individually, but if I just get a "please update" I'm not going to reply to that. I like those too so I guess it doesn't really matter. Just review and if you have an idea let me know and I'll try and work it into the story!

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After a few hours of sleep Danny woke up to find that it was nearly midnight. _I'm still so tired, _he thought. He shook it off and walked down the hallway to where his father was sleeping. Watching him, he thought back to when his dad was nice and loving.

He had liked, no loved, Danny back then. What Danny wouldn't do to get back those moments. He smiled as he touched the picture of him, his dad, his mom and his sister. They were having fun at the park – a weekend of "no gosthunting" as his mother had put it. Danny had been about nine.

_Those were the good days, _Danny thought as he slipped the picture under his shirt and at that second, Jack woke up. "You little!" he growled, grabbing Danny's arm and shoving him onto the floor. He carefully got the picture and dragged a resisting Danny too his bedroom where he handcuffed him to the door handle, shutting the door.

"I'll get you in the morning," he said.

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Later that day… 

Danny nearly threw up when Dash shoved him into the locker wall. "Hey little Fenton, come out and play?" he teased as he twisted Danny's already-broken arm. Danny's scream sent Tucker and Sam running down the halls.

Once Sam saw what was going on she sent Tucker to the principle's office, wincing as Danny was kicked by Dash in the ribs.

"You scream like a girl, Fen-Ton," he teased. "I'd say you're a girl any day, maybe grow your hair longer…"

Danny just winced as he saw the principle coming. _My dad is going to kill me, _he thought when Sam appeared. "Danny! Are you alright?"

"No," he said, shuddering and trying hard to keep his heart from beating a million times per minute.

"Dash, Fenton! What is the meaning of this?" Lancer yelled.

"I… I…" Dash stuttered, "I didn't --- I ---"

"Lancer, I think his arm is broken," Sam cut in.

"Dear sweet God Dash, you're going to get Jack Fenton all over the school in a matter of minutes," Lancer said.

_Pease don't lift up my shirt, _Danny thought. He knew he had fresh bruises from where the handcuffs had been and bruises where Jack had been kicking him.

"Get him to the nurses' office," Lancer said. "Ok, people, show's over, everyone go back to his or her respective class, please."

----- In the nurse's office ------

The nurse lifted up his shirt. "What happened? Was this all Dash?"

Danny bit his lip. He wasn't sure what to say. "No, I fell off a tree when I was tree climbing," he lied.

The nurse lowered his shirt. "Danny, are you protecting someone, being abused at home? I know you've recently gone through a lot lately, what with your mother dying and all that."

Danny jumped up, alarmed. "I told you, it was from falling off a tree," he said. "B-but I think my arm's broken."

The nurse muttered something to herself and began to set Danny's arm in a cast. Being a school where lots of ghosts liked to roam about, they had many medical supplies on hand. One of them was the ability to cast any body part.

"Danny, you _need _to tell me if something's going on, please," The nurse said as an angry Jack stormed into the room. Sam and Tucker were behind him, watching.

"Danny, you're ok!" he cried, hugging his son. A confused Danny guessed he was acting. Jack turned to the nurse and asked, "What the hell happened here?"

"One of the school bullies, Dash, was 'razzing' on your son," the nurse explained, "and apparently broke his arm."

---------------

Sam glanced at the scene in the office. "Well, Sam?" Tucker asked.

"OK, OK! I admit it. I was over reacting. Just drop it, okay?" she asked as Danny walked out of school shooting them a worried look.

Jack glared at Dash as he walked by. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer," he said, slamming the door shut.

"See?" Tucker asked, and the two walked back to class.

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Danny bit his lip as Jack started up the car. "Daniel, the nurse could have found out about it, and I think she hinted at it. That was stupid of you, next time just bite your lip," he ordered. "I will contact my lawyer to make sure this doesn't happen again, remember Danny, if anyone finds out…"

Danny gulped. If anyone found out, he'd be sent to live with Vlad for sure. "No one will, Dad, I'm sorry," he apologized, his heart beating quickly with fear.

Jack sighed. "Start your chores," he said unsympathetically as an angry Danny slammed the car door.

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Once he got inside, Danny didn't start his chores right away. Instead, he grabbed his picture of Jazz and his mother from his bedroom and started to cry.

Jack had threatened to send him to live with Vlad after he found out Vlad was also part ghost, part human.

_Jazz, what should I do? _Danny wondered. He couldn't tell anyone; that was out of the question; he could run away, but he had no one to turn to and if he got caught he'd surely be turned back into Jack who would turn him into Vlad Masters.

_I hate this, _Danny thought. _Jazz, I wish you were here. I wish I could make a wish and have everything just go away._

Deep down, he knew that Jazz was there, in spirit. Jazz, he thought, wherever you are, please stay safe.

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Watcheye think? Please review! 


	5. Flashback: Why can't I live with Vlad

I love writing for you guys. Thanks for reviewing and I'll reply to them eventually. If you really want me to reply let me know in your review. But I'll try and get to that.

Next chapter, folks.

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Five days later… 

Danny sat in his bedroom, thinking. He remembered when his father had figured it out, it had been at his mother's funeral and Vlad had gone inside him, forcing him to go ghost in front of his father.

His father had been so angry at Danny then, he couldn't even – quote – "bear to look at his son."

Sometime soon Jack came in. "Congratulations, you got all your chores done. What about your homework?"

"Done," Danny said, shaking in his boots. He couldn't bear to be in the same room as his father anymore.

"You may go play with your friends, but remember, tell no one," his father said as Danny exited the room.

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Danny sighed as he walked down the street. He was headed to Sam's house, but on his way there, he felt in the pocket for his picture of Jazz.

He couldn't go live with Vlad, even though it seemed like a tempting alternative at this point. He'd killed his mother. Danny had seen him do it. He'd told the defense attorney, who didn't believe him, and Vlad was now all over his case in anger that he'd figured it out.

Danny sighed as he rubbed his arm. _"It really would have healed just fine without the cast," _Danny thought as he rang Sam's doorbell.

"Hello, is Sam there?" he asked Sam's mother.

She nodded. "Please do come in." She smiled at Danny's surprised face. "I'm hoping you'll cheer her up. Apparently something went on at school today and she's upset."

"I'll try and calm her down," Danny said curiously, wondering what had happened to Sam. After a minute's walk he entered Sam's room where both Sam and Tucker were sitting on the bed. Sam was crying.

"Hey, Sam," Danny said, knocking on the door slightly.

Sam perked up. "Hey yourself," she said, giving him a slight hug and moving over to give him room on the bed.

"Hey," Tucker said. "How are you?"

"I'm alive," Danny said with a shrug. "What happened at school?"

Sam dried her tears. "I nearly got e-e-xpelled for nothing I did wrong and D-dash tried to beat me up."

Danny's eyes widened. "Wow."

"That's not all. He nearly smashed her arm in half before they expelled _him _from the school," Tucker said.

Danny smiled lightheartedly. "Guess someone was in the mood to break arms today. Are you ok?"

She sighed. "I don't know. He tried to look under my dress," she said, embarrassed. "I told my parents and they flipped out and my dad hit me. He _hit me!_"

Danny fingered the money in his pocket that his grandmother had given him for his birthday. "You guys wanna go to Nasty Burger?" he asked. "My treat."

Sam nodded. "Are you ok? Your arm looks really sore."

"It is, I'm fine."

"Good," Sam said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I just was so shocked that he hit me, ya'know?"

Danny nodded. "I'm glad you're ok. He was probably just in shock."

"Yeah, I know," she said. She smiled as they walked to Nasty Burger.

_Just like old times, _Tucker thought.

Little did they know, Danny's father was following them…

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Review and I'll update ASAP.


	6. Sister problems

I'm staying up late at night to type this. I hope you all read and review please. Please?

All right, here goes nothing. Thanks for reviewing everyone.

I'm changing the title too "Missing the Piano," named after a book I like. You'll understand why in the next few chapters.

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Later 

_FLASHBACK _

_A small child, aged three, lay on his bed. "Hey, Jack," the woman said as a man entered the room. _

"_Hey, Maddie," the man said. "How are things going?"_

"_Going well," she replied. "I'm just looking at our son."_

"_He's so cute," Jack agreed. _

"_Hey," Jazz said, entering the room. _

"_Hey, Jazzy!" Jack said, hugging her. "How are you doing today?"_

"_Fine. I wanted to see the baby."_

"_He's not a baby anymore, darling. He's three years old."_

"_Then why did Mommy call him a baby?" Nine – year – old Jazz asked, sticking out her lower lip._

"Ahh, Jazzy," Jack said, taking her in his lap and lifting her up so she could see the baby.

_-------------_

Danny sighed to himself as he remembered. Jack, his dad, had loved him back then. That was before he'd been so involved in ghost hunting that he could care less about his son.

Actually, as he thought about it, Jack had cared about him less over the years, starting to care only about Jazz and Maddie.

_I can't wait until I'm 18, _Danny thought. He wanted to stick it out until he was 18, get his diploma, and move on.

"Daniel Fenton!" His father's angry voice snapped him too attention and he ran downstairs. "Y-yes sir?" he stuttered. 

"What the heck is this?" he demanded. It was the receipt for Danny's, Sam's and Tucker's lunch that day.

"I don't know, sir," Danny lied.

"What is it? What the hell is it!" he demanded.

"It's not mine, honest!" he cried.

"I don't believe you. I think you're lying. I think you have money in your room somewhere, and I want it _now." _

Jack had confiscated most of Danny's personal belongings, except twenty-five dollars, his picture of his mother, Jazz, and the picture of the three of them together.

"I don't have any," Danny said. The money he did have was hidden well, and he would never tell anyone where it was. Not even in his "not-so-personal" journal, because he had a feeling his father read that as well.

Jack's alcoholic breath beat fast on Danny's breath and he started to kick him. "Where is it?" he yelled.

"I don't have any," Danny cried. After a few minutes, he lay there and his father left the room.

_Mom, I wish you were alive, _he thought. _I really wish – _the telephone rang downstairs and Jack started talking. His voice turned happy, and Danny's face paled.

_God, tell me he's not headed for the bar… _Danny prayed as his father walked back into his room.

"Danny," his father said, "I'm headed for the bar. But first, one thing. I have a chance to get Jazz back into custody. There will be a trial hearing in two weeks. Don't fuck this up, okay?" he demanded. He walked out the door before even seeing Danny's reply.

Danny nodded. What was he going to do? He could tell the judge, but no one would believe him, just like Vlad.

He could tell someone, but who would believe him? His friends would, but they didn't have enough evidence to hold it up in court.

Should he have his sister there? Would it really make anything better or would it make it worse, having to hide everything from his sister?

After much thought and realization, he realized one thing: he couldn't let his sister come there. There was no way he would let it happen.

None.

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Sorry that was so short again. I'll update ASAP!


	7. A huge shock and a loosing court case

Man, I love it when my email has about ten reviews in it. Thanks, guys. You make me like writing. Here comes another chapter of "Missing the Piano.'

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"_All rise," the judge said. "I have, after much consideration, determined Jack Fenton is able to have too children. Therefore, Jazz Fenton will now be placed with her father, Jack Fenton. You are all dismissed."_

"_Nooooooo!" Danny screamed._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Danny woke up, sweating hard. He smiled. He knew how to get Jack to loose the court case (and ultimately, both custody of him _and_ Jazz – forever.)

He quietly tip-towed down to the stairs. Grabbing his father's private journal (underlined twice – private,) he ran to the sheriff's office without reading it.

He slipped it into the sheriff's box, labeled the journal _Jack Fenton, _and then flew off.

He decided to fly around for an hour because he had a feeling he wouldn't get any sleep, and besides, it'd be better if he wasn't there after his father came home drunk.

_Man, I miss the good old days._ Danny had taken piano from the time he was three, but it was one of the first things Jack had sold.

Suddenly, out of nowhere… "I am the box ghost! Fear me!"

"Aw, shit," Danny muttered. It was going to be a long night….

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_Two weeks later (trial hearing) _

"We have ruled Jack unconfident to have two children," the jury said.

"And on what basis have you reached this decision?" the judge asked.

"We have, your honor, a journal written by Jack Fenton containing gross stories. He openly admits he did not think he could handle two kids."

"How did you get your hands on my _so-called _journal?" Jack yelled. His lawyer put his hand on Jack's arm, and he was silent.

"Do you rule Jack Fenton able to handle one child?"

"Yes your honor, he admits to quote 'having fun with Danny.'"

"All right then that is all. You are dismissed."

Jazz glared at Danny as she walked out with her grandma Day, and Danny sighed as Jack told him to get in the car and go. He did so willingly, his legs shaking the whole way, as he knew he'd be in for a beating when he got home.

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_Two hours later_

Jack came back from the bar and Danny smelled beer on his breath. "You little but head," he shouted. "How the hell did you find my private journal, that was personal, I can't believe your nerve. I told you I'd be after you with a vengeance. Now I might just have to ship you off to Vlad's!"

Danny's face paled. He could take _anything_ better then Vlad's. Vlad had _killed his mother_, and Vlad _was evil._ "I… I… I will do anything you want."

"That's much better," Danny's father said with a smile. "Now, if you'll just come with me?" he smiled falsely as he started the car.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_Meanwhile, with Vlad…_

"I don't want to live here anymore, Vlad, you know I don't," the woman's voice said.

"Oh, my woman," Vlad said, "Everyone thinks you are dead. Why go back? You can stay with me in this paradise forever."

The woman grabbed a cup and hurled it accost the room. "I don't want your million dollar mansion, I don't want to be called Shelly, and I don't _want_ this extravaganza. I just want to go home."

"Ah, Maddie, Maddie, Maddie," Vlad said, embracing her in a tight hug, "that's not going to happen, my sweet."

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_R&R!_


	8. Maddie, Maddie, Maddie

Sorry for not updating ASAP. I apologize.

Mild language in this chappy

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Maddie shoved Vlad against the wall. "I hate you! Go to hell," she shouted, her eyes stinging as she ran out the door.

"_Oh, shit," _he thought as he grabbed his cloak and went flying after her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Danny gasped helplessly as his father kicked him in the side, over and over again. It really felt so painful – he just couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything…

Gasping, he rolled over, trying to protect his head from his father's kicks. "I would have been happy with Jazz, Daniel, but _no_, you have to go make a freaking mess of that, too!" he kicked him in the side once again.

"I… I… Hate you," Danny said.

"Shut the hell up," Jack snapped angrily and kicked Danny again, handcuffing him to the bed.

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"Where is Danny?" Tucker demanded. He couldn't believe that Danny wasn't at school. It seemed like Danny _lived_ in school.

Sam shrugged. "It must be really important for him to miss school. Did you hear that his dad lost any chance of a custody with Jazz?"

"Danny must be really upset," Tucker said. "I know he likes his sister a lot."

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Maddie ran for her life. She flew (ran) past trees, but Vlad finally caught her.

"Do you ever learn?" he said, gasping for breath as he grabbed her arm.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_DREAM LAND (maddie) _

Maddie walked down the street. She saw a boy whose lip was bloody, and he was beaten a little. "Sir, are you OK?" she asked. "Sir?" she grasped his arm. Vlad insisted they pay a visit to Amity Park.

He kept walking, not responding to her. "Sir!" She called again. "Sir, are you OK?'

He didn't say anything but Maddie caught up and saw his face. "Danny!" she gasped.

He turned his very bruised face around and said, "Mom?"

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Maddie woke up from her dream and gasped. Danny was in some sort of trouble, and she needed to help him – now. She realized the sky was still dark, but snuck off to one of Vlad's private rooms and grabbed the keys to the helicopter.

He'd been training her how to fly it stickles (it didn't have a stick), and she was ready to put that knowledge to a test.

She only hoped she could get away from Vlad long enough to help her son.

Her son. Danny. She hadn't seen him for about two months.

_Whatever it takes, I'm coming to get you,_ she vowed.


	9. I am the box ghost! Fear me!

Next chapter up. Sorry for the shortness and delay. This chapter has some Box Ghost humor in it.

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_Bury it in the deep so far that you can't see… If you're like me, who wears a broken heart on your sleeve? _

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Danny's father sighed as he walked inside. He had been at the bar and was very drunk. "Danny!" he said. "Where are you?"

"Danny, where are you?" his father snapped once again. Danny shook his head. He hated it when his father was drunk.

Lucky for him, his father was too lazy to go upstairs and just went and passed out on the couch.

As soon as his father left Danny breathed a sigh of relief. The relief was quickly vanished when…

"I am the box ghost! Fear me!"

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Maddie shook her head as she tried outrunning Vlad, but it didn't work. He quickly over came her and said, "Maddie, you never thought you were going to escape, did you?

He didn't realize he had a Fenton Thermos in his back pocket.

He also didn't realize, or didn't care, that he was in his ghost form.

"Suck it, moron!" she yelled.

"Hey!" he called as he was sucked into the thermos.

_Now, _Maddie thought triumphantly, _I'm free! I'm finally free! _

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"I am the box ghost! Fear me!" the box ghost said.

Danny sighed. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of handcuffed to the bed here, I can't exactly go ghost and fight you."

"Good!" the box ghost said. He tried picking up Danny. "Oh, you're handcuffed to the bed," he said.

"No, really?" Danny snapped.

The box ghost sighed. "This just won't do." He found a hammer and started to smash Danny's chains.

_How stupid can you get? _Danny thought.

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Maddie threw the thermos into the river. "Take that, bitch," she muttered.

She got into the helicopter nearby and started to fly to her house. She thought it would be a night of joyous celebration. Little did she know, it'd be a long night.

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The box ghost continued to attempt to get Danny's chains off. "This will not do!" he said. "I cannot get these things off! What are they called, anyway?"

Danny groaned, trying to hold back a grin. "Handcuffs," he said.

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Sam and Tucker were walking to Danny's house. On their way, they spotted a helicopter. "Hey, look at that," Tucker called.

"Hey, that's Maddie. But that can't be Maddie. Maddie's dead?" Sam said. The woman landed right in the middle of the park.

"Maddie!" Sam said as she rushed too him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The box ghost had finally managed to get Danny's handcuffs off him. "You can't go ghost, can you?" he asked.

Danny shook his head, but turned and punched the box ghost in the stomach. The box ghost retaliated, grabbing a pair of handcuffs and handcuffing Danny to his belt loop. He smiled as he wrote the ransom note.

This was going to be quite interesting….

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Maddie, Tucker, and Sam raced to Danny's house to tell Jack and Danny the news: Maddie was alive! They couldn't wait. When they went inside, Maddie saw Jack passed out on the couch.

"Jazz?" she called.

"I should tell you, Jack lost Jazz in a court battle."

"Damn, I was hoping Vlad was joking about that," Maddie muttered.

"He wasn't."

Maddie ran upstairs only to find a pair of handcuffs and a ransom note in her son's room…

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R&R please!


	10. Nuff said

What's wrong with the box ghost? I like the box ghost. Here goes Santa! Er… I mean… nothing.

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_I can't believe everything happens to me, _Danny thought miserably. He was lying on the floor of Vlad's mansion. Apparently, the Box Ghost hadn't been working for himself. He'd been working for Vlad.

_Big shocker. _Danny should've guessed it from the start. He wished he was in his ghost form and could zap Vlad away, but the handcuffs stopped him from doing that. He couldn't even go intangible or go ghost.

"Hello, Danny," he said creepily. He smiled as Danny flinched when he touched his face. "Your mother and father think it's the box ghost who kidnapped you."

Danny bit his lip to keep from yelling at Vlad. Giving Vlad attention was the last thing he wanted. He hated this man – this man had killed his mother and destroyed his family.

He HATED this man. Yes, that's right, hated. He hated him with a passion, a passion deep inside….

"Vlad," he said, forcing the anger down inside his chest, praying silently it'd stay down, and said, "I have a question."

"Yes?" Vlad asked patiently.

"WHY DID YOU KILL MY MOTHER? EVERYTHING WAS GOING ALONG FINE UNTIL YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!"

"Now, now," Vlad said, slapping him on the cheek, "we can't have that now can we?" he smiled.

Danny thought he was going to puke if Vlad touched him one more time. This was just a little too close for comfort.

"I didn't kill your mother, Daniel," Vlad said. "I merely kidnapped her, making it look as if I killed her."

That did it. "You sick…" Danny spat out. He quickly regained his temper as Vlad kicked him in the side.

"Don't talk to me like that, Daniel," he warned. "Now, to contact Jack Fenton…"

--------------

"It says he wants something in return, and he'll get into contact with you later."

"I'm waking up Jack. He'll know what to do," Maddie said. "Jack!" she called.

"Maddie?" Jack said groggily as he woke up. "Maddie! I thought you were dead!"

"Oh, I thought I was too!" The two embraced each other in a hug and Tucker and Sam rolled their eyes. They didn't want to see their best friend's father and mother kiss.

"Uh, guys, we have a missing child here," Sam spat.

"No, really?" Tucker quipped. Sam glared at him.

"What?" Jack gasped. "Who's missing?"

"Danny," Sam said, handing him the note. He read it and his face paled.

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Meanwhile, Maddie was walking through the house, exploring what changes Jack had done with it. Jazz had taken all the stuff with her when she left that had belonged to her, and Danny's room barely had anything in it.

She wondered down to the kitchen, glancing at the stove. _Oh. My. God. _

It had blood on it. Yuck, she thought. That was probably Danny's from where he'd putted up a struggle.

Walking into the living room she noticed something was very different the n from the last time she'd been in there. When it hit her, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"JACK FENTON, WHERE THE HELL IS MY GRANDMOTHER'S PIANO?"

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Hope you like it! Please R&R!


	11. Finding a journal

Thanks for all your reviews. Please R&R again.

RECAP:

"JACK, WHERE THE HELL IS MY GRANDMOTHER'S PIANO?"

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Luckily for Jack, he was good at comebacks. "I sold it, Maddie," he said. "I couldn't bear for it to be there – it was a constant reminder of you."

"Why is Danny's room stripped?"

"Stripped?" Sam and Tucker asked in confusion.

"Go look," Maddie ordered, "There's nothing there."

"Nothing there?" Tucker gasped. "Well, that would explain why he wore the same shirt five days in a row – ow!"

"We'll look," Sam said, understanding that the two needed some alone time with each other. She gasped when she entered Danny's room.

It looked more like a prison. It had a desk, a chair, a hard bed, and a dresser.

"She wasn't kidding!" gasped Sam.

"No, she wasn't." Tucker pulled open his friend's drawers to reveal his most recent journal. He turned it open to the first page and saw what he never wanted to see from his friend.

Blood.

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Danny shook his head, trying to stay awake. At least the handcuffs were better then the box he was in the last time he'd visited Vlad's apartment.

"I hate you, I do hope you know that," Danny spat as Vlad paced back and forth. He couldn't even see to get a response from him today. Something was on his mind; something sinister, something…

Danny decided not to push his buttons. He was alive, and that was a good thing. He didn't want to see anything change about that detail – because if he wasn't alive, he'd be dead.

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"Blood," Sam gasped. Tucker started to move but she grabbed him and read the first journal entry:

_Dear Journal,_

_My father hates me! Ever since Mom died, which was yesterday, things haven't been the same. Crap, I'm so ticked off right now, you wouldn't believe how upset I am about things, mostly the fact that he held me down and beat me on the floor yesterday._

_I can practically hear the laughter from whoever's reading this. "Jack Fenton wouldn't abuse his kid."_

_Like hell he wouldn't. He sold my grandmother's piano, my mother's silk blouse (it was nearly 200 years old,) and my stuff. Except the basics._

_I can't believe him, he's such a (censor), this sucks… Yes, life sucks. I know how Sam feels, only worse._

_Man, I miss hanging out with Tucker and Sam. I haven't seen them in awhile. I should see them tomorrow (mom's funeral.) _

_The police have ruled my mother's death as an accident, but I know Vlad did it. Just like I know my father found out my secret._

_I hate Vlad. I hope he dies and goes to a dark, deep, place, and never returns._

_EVER. _

Danny F.

Sam gasped. "We have to get this to Maddie."

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Danny shook his head once again trying to clear the cobwebs. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep in about three weeks. He wished he could sleep easily like he used to before his mother died.

"Is my mother dead?" he asked.

Vlad continued pacing the floor, saying nothing. Danny was getting ticked. Usually he could get a reaction from Vlad, good or bad. This creased-out sickout-killer calm version of Vlad scared him.

"Vlad?" he dared to ask again. Vlad didn't say anything, he just turned and paced the floor as he walked around.

"I have to leave," he said, finally, withdrawing a needle from his pocket. "But with this, you won't feel anything…" he stopped, pausing to inject the needle partially into Danny's arm. …"For a long while."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------R&R plz!


	12. Danny's journal, part 2

Wow, thanks for all the reviews. Here goes another chapter.

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Danny fainted when Vlad injected him with the needle. Soon afterwards he woke up, but felt disoriented and slightly delusional. He couldn't move, and Danny hoped he wasn't paralyzed for good.

He _wondered_ what his mom was doing if she was indeed alive. Although he hoped and prayed she was, he didn't want to get his hopes up only to get them crushed.

_Oh. My. God, _he thought, if his mother was alive, would she find out his secret? What would his father do then? Would he be sent to a foster home or would he be forced to live with Vlad forever – no hope of escape?

He hoped he was right and his mom was alive, he hoped everyone (except possibly his Dad and Vlad), but he wanted himself, Jazz, and his mother to be okay. Alive. Un-hurt.

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Tucker glanced at Sam as she gave Maddie the journal. Reading the first page, her jaw dropped. She then turned to the second page:

_Dad hit me again today. He said that because he's in charge now, he'd make the rules. I said, "Great, so what are you, a ghost?" He was so mad. Next time, I'll keep my mouth shut. I hate the man._

_Man, I hope he doesn't find this journal. If he does I'll be seriously screwed. Not much to report at school today, though. Funeral cut it out early, so I didn't have to see Dash. I think he's cooling down a little bit (hopefully for the next couple of days). He didn't look at me twice today, thank god._

_Oh, man, here comes dad again._

The next day was a longer entry. It was long, so Maddie just skimmed the necessary parts.

_Perfect grades! Perfect grades! Always, always perfect grades! Jiminy Christmas, I can't pull strait A's in two weeks! My dad found my journal, too, my fake one. This one's moving from place to place. _

_I didn't know why people kept journals before this. I thought, why keep something if you're not going to show it off or use it?_

_OK! I'm wrong. And off topic. Anyway, Dad wants strait A's, no exceptions. I know this because I bought home a B+ on my test today. Little () got drunk and then he came home upset. He hit me several times on my jaw; to make matters worse Plasmius – I think I spelled that right… (Vlad Masters, dad's old friend – note sarcasm here) came and found me during school. I missed half of English class going to the bathroom. (I'll have to tease Lancer about that later.) _

_At least some of the ghosts are leaving me alone now. It's kind of nice to see that. I guess because I got a rough break _

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It broke off at that. Maddie shrugged, not sure what to think, but closed the journal and turned towards Jack.

"How could you? I trusted you with guardianship of our son, Jack! Of our son _and _our daughter. Yes, before you go off on that, _both_ Jazz and I knew Danny was the ghost kid. Why do you think I suddenly stopped trying to hunt him, lack of piano talents?" she snapped (to stop from saying, _lack of interest_ – which was true.)

"Sam, Tucker, do either of you have your driver's license?"

"I do, but I don't have my assault vehicle license," Sam quipped. Tucker nudged her and she shut up.

"OK. You know how to get to Vlad's house. I'll take care of Jack and meet you there," she said.

"What are you going to drive?" Sam asked in shock.

"The _Maddie_ assault vehicle."

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R&R!


	13. RESCUING DANNY, PART 1

Thanks for all your reviews; sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. Here goes nothing.

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Maddie angrily drove the car. She couldn't believe Jack would abuse her youngest child, or her oldest child, or any child for that matter! She was so angry.

"Madide," Jack said, breaking the silence, "Danny is lying."

"He wouldn't lie in his journal, Jack, forget it, I'm not buying it."

Jack sat quietly, then said, "Maddie, deep down in your heart, somewhere down there, I know you believe me."

"No, I don't. Now shut up!" she practically yelled.

--------------------------------

TWO HOURS LATER

Sam maneuvered the vehicle carefully. "I'm not used to driving. Where is this grandma day?"

"We're right near there. I've been there before. It's on the way to Vlad's," he said.

"What a coincidence," she said with a smile.

"Yeah. I know," she said with a smile.

---------------------------------

Danny woke up and his stomach growled. He realized that he hadn't had anything to eat since the other day at Nasty Burger. Maybe he could entice Vlad to give something to eat to him.

Without the drugs. He wasn't sure but he thought that Vlad had poisoned the water he'd gotten earlier. He had felt foggy afterwards.

He was just so tired, he couldn't move. It wouldn't matter if he could move, anyway. He couldn't escape the handcuffs. He took a look out the window and wondered, that, should his mother be alive, if she would find him or if he would die? He wasn't sure. He prayed that someone would find him.

0---------------------------------------------------------0

Maddie had dropped Jack off at the prison with the journal, saying that Danny would be there in a few days to testify against Jack.

She just had to rescue him first. She wasn't sure what to do. She knew he was at Vlad's, and she felt horrible, because she knew he was at Vlad's because she escaped.

In other words, she felt that this was all her fault.

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Sam and Tucker picked up Jazz. Calling Maddie to ask her where she was, they agreed to meet at a hotel, freshen up, sleep, and then go tackle Vlad, because, as Maddie said, what good would they be for Danny if they just got him killed?

None. However, it still seemed to Sam, as she let Jazz take over driving, that it was a vacation rather then not…

She closed her eyes and slept peacefully.

----------------

As Tucker finished explaining things to Jazz, she gasped. "So Danny was really protecting me when he lost the court case for Dad?"

Tucker nodded and Jazz glowered. "I can't believe it. That little… I'm going to kill him. I really am."

"Danny? You're going to kill Danny?" Tucker asked, shocked.

"No, not Danny! I'm going to kill my father," snapped Jazz. "Although I'm not sure I should call him that anymore."

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I'll update soon. Hit the button; it feels neglected. I accept anonymous reviews, so even if you don't wanna sign in, please HIT THE BUTTON!


	14. RESCUING DANNY, PART 2

OK, thanks for your reviews! Just one thing…. I had 127 hits and only 12 reviews! Wow! I'd _love_ it if everyone who visited reviewed, even if it was anonymous and just a please update! I love you guys!

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_One night, a child had a dream. The dream was his family; happy and reunited. Sadly, deep in his heart, he knew it was just a dream, would remain just a dream, and, unfortunately, would never come true. _

0-------------------------------------------------------0

Gazing at the sky through his window, Danny shifted to try and avoid the handcuffs' mark. He wasn't sure what was going on and wondered why, and when, things had gone this far down the road.

If his mother had never really died… Then why did Vlad fake it? Danny had two guesses, and one was to get to his mother, and the other was something else.

Gulping nervously he yanked at the handcuffs once more. To his delight, they broke free….

…. And then imminently became tight again.

"DAMN IT, WHY ME?" he yelled to no one. Vlad was downstairs somewhere. Maybe he had the keys on him.

Well, that was stupid – Danny knew he had the keys on him. He just had to find out how to get Vlad upstairs and near him so he could get the keys. His dad wouldn't care squat, and he had a feeling his mother wouldn't come for him, and if his father lied to his friends, well… there'd be no one to his rescue.

No one. He would have to fight this battle himself; get out himself; and he had a feeling he had less then twenty-four hours to do it.

And counting.

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"Can't you guys drive any faster?" Tucker snapped from the back. "We have to save Danny, not take a cruise limo to the shipping!"

"We are going faster!" Maddie snapped. She was angry; anyone could see this, and she had her foot floored to the gas pedal. Jazz was in the front seat and anyone could see she'd gotten a poor night's sleep.

Twenty minutes later, they had a problem. The car had stopped working. Completely. About a fifteen minute's walk to Vlad's mansion.

"Everyone, get your tools and let's go," Maddie ordered, a determined look on her face.

After fifteen minutes of walking through deep wasteland, with no trees, stores, or anything else, Jazz commented, "Well, he sure likes his space."

Tucker laughed. A typical 'Tucker' thing to do. Sam was getting mad at Tucker. She felt like they were going into a big mission.

Well, they'd done it. They'd reached the house. There was just one problem…

"How are we going to get inside?"

---------------------------------------------------------Danny tried going invisible, but his powers wouldn't let him and the handcuffs zapped him every time he attempted it. Squeezing his fingers together, he tried to shift his skinny arm through the handcuffs.

To his surprise, it worked. He couldn't believe it. Maybe he'd really lost that much weight, and it scared him.

He went invisible and smiled. Now, there would be hell to pay for Vlad Masters and Jack Fenton…

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Vlad answered the door to an angry group of kids with one parent and one thing in common: Danny.

"Where is he, Vlad?" Maddie demanded. "Where is he?"

"Who?" Vlad asked, playing innocent. However, it didn't sit well with Maddie, who stormed up to him, very upset.

"Danny, Danny Fenton," she said. She got a knife out of her pocket and pointed it at Vlad. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs, first room on the left," Vlad said. He could have defeated Maddie easily, but didn't want to get into a fight with his soon-to-be wife.

Running upstairs, Maddie took one look at the bedroom and gasped. Handcuffs were attached to the bed and blood was on each one.

She turned to Vlad, her eyes ablaze with fire and asked, "WHERE THE HELL IS MY SON?"

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Easy, Maddie. Don't kill Vlad yet. That's Danny's job. Cookie to everyone who guessed Vlad's going to be the one to die. R&R please.

A/N: Next chapter I'll write the names down of everyone who reviewed and thank you. If you have a question, leave it in your review and I'll rely.


	15. Ending

Well, I'm finally ending my story. Here we go again, yipty-due-dah…

THANKS TO

Buttkickingphantom, Lizzy, Fantomgirl 1 on 1, Jamesboy12, Justyne Phantom, Kassi, Frodo01228, DPhantomtomboy, Bob, Paine394, dannyphantomfanaticandDxSshipper, moonymonster, crazyvi, animegurl088, RIPKurdtCobain, Sportsman, Kawaii-Chibi-Naruto, DarkKitsuneYokai, Dark Lady of the Sith, Little Ammore, silver windflame, DannysGhostWriter, The Only Sexy Ninja That Looks Through Life And Says Things Would Look Better In A Phantom Half Mask, soccergurl1990, darkalbinochicken, Anonymouse, Sunshine Silverjojo, Oystiee, and anyone else I missed.

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Danny had been able to slip out through a mistake the box ghost had made: Leaving the keys to the handcuffs within Danny's reach. Once again, Danny smiled at the idiocy of the box ghost.

Danny grimaced as he fingered his bruise. He had gone invisible and was watching everyone banter it out, fighting. Then suddenly he slapped himself on the head, he _knew_ what he was going to do of course!

He flew intangible and into Vlad, who stopped dead in his tracks. Everyone kind of froze, unsure what to do. Maddie frowned and said, "Get the phantom blaster!"

"Wait!" Danny called franticly, knowing no one could hear him. He simply picked Vlad up and flew against the tale. Vlad's face flew flat and he went human again. Danny picked Vlad up and flew him into the ghost portal, unsure what to do when the monster attacked…

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Everyone out of the house!" he screamed when he saw the electro filter. He ran into Jazz who ran out in fear.

Ten…

Nine…

Eight…

Seven…

Six….

Five….

Four….

Three….

Two….

One…

BAM! Vlad's house, and ghost portal, blasted to the ground, destroying everything and everyone in int. Danny turned human again and sank back in relief.

"Danny!" Maddie said, running up to him and giving him a huge hug. "I missed you sooooooo much, I'm so sorry!"

"It's ok, Mom, I'm home." He looked around the group, confused. "Where's Jack?"

"In jail where he belongs."

"Sweet," Danny said.

"You'll have to go with me and press charges, but we can do that later," Maddie assured him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Six_ months later_

Everything was going fine for Danny, Maddie, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker.

Jack was in jail for child abuse and would stay there for seven years. By that time Danny would be old enough to take care of himself. Vlad was dead and the ghost portals were destroyed. Very few ghosts hunted Amity Park after that.

Everything went back to normal. Everything. Sam and Tucker; Dash; Danny; the only thing that was unmoral was the lack of ghosts; a change everyone welcomed.

And of course, Valerie still hunted the halfa.

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Thou Shalt Not Pass Without Reviewing )

Please and thank you )


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